Fruit Leather

[IntrepidStu]

Has anyone ever made a Wild Cherry or Bird Cherry Leather??
I want to figure out how to do it in the wild (without a fancy dehydrator).
The aim is to find a way of preserving fruits that can be done in a bushcraft way (i.e, not using modern technology or ingredients such as sugar).

Stu.

 

[Toddy]

Bird cherries are not good
Not saying you can't eat them, we know that in the past they were, but dry, sour.

Ordinary cherries dry out well in the dehydrator with no added sugar, but to preserve them without electricity, I think I'd try pemican. They'd add a tangy bite to the mix.

The only way I know of to make fruit leathers without a dehydrator, needs the fruit pulp to be simmered down until it's a thick paste. Spread that out on a big leaf and leave it in the sun to dry out. You could use a rock so long as it was smooth enough to allow the leather to be peeled free. A well seasoned iron pan would probably work too.

Bird cherries (we call the tree the gean) might work with something like wild strawberries or early rosehaws, but they really are sour.

Best of luck with it.
cheers,
Toddy

 

[bushcraftbob]

I had a crack at making some Hawthorn leather last autumn. It turned out ok, and dried nice and 'leathery' but i was disappointed that it tastde quite bland and not really that fruity. I am thinking of having another go this year and maybe adding a few crab apples to try and make it a bit more flavoursome - do you guys think it will 'set' with crabapple pulp added to it?

 

[chickenofthewoods]

Look here for some info about the oven method for making fruit leathers:

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/007277how_to_make_fruit_leather.php

http://www.sunnimaravillosa.com/pood/fruitleather.html

 

[IntrepidStu]

I had a crack at making some Hawthorn leather last autumn. It turned out ok, and dried nice and 'leathery' but i was disappointed that it tastde quite bland and not really that fruity. I am thinking of having another go this year and maybe adding a few crab apples to try and make it a bit more flavoursome - do you guys think it will 'set' with crabapple pulp added to it?

Any chance you could give us the procedure you followed. For instance, did you just crush and dry??, Did you boil?? What did you do with the pits??

Cheers.
Stu

 

[IntrepidStu]

Look here for some info about the oven method for making fruit leathers:

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/007277how_to_make_fruit_leather.php

http://www.sunnimaravillosa.com/pood/fruitleather.html

Cheers for the links, I will give it a try in the oven first.
I did google for fruit leathers but didnt get the good results you got; Cheers!!

Stu

 

[bushcraftbob]

I gathered a large bowl full of hawthorn fruit, then crushed them all up with a potatoe masher. At this point add a tiny bit of water to aid it to turn in to a pulp. Then i rubbed the mixture through a fine sieve on to a bking tray. The first lot i made was too watery and would not set in the sun, the second lot i made i just added a tiny splash of water and the mixture was a lot thicker and dried in the sun a treat. It was a great texture but just expected it to taste more fruity!

 

[chickenofthewoods]

Bear in mind that adding other stuff to improve flavouring would alter the consistency of the mix when using hawthorn (which should set naturally, a la Ray Mears).

So adding apple puree, for instance might mean you don't get that gelling effect. However, it won't stop you drying it by other means - oven, dehydrator etc. - plus you could always add ground spices to jazz up the flavours and help combat blandness.

 

[jackmcmanus21]

I gathered a large bowl full of hawthorn fruit, then crushed them all up with a potatoe masher. At this point add a tiny bit of water to aid it to turn in to a pulp. Then i rubbed the mixture through a fine sieve on to a bking tray. The first lot i made was too watery and would not set in the sun, the second lot i made i just added a tiny splash of water and the mixture was a lot thicker and dried in the sun a treat. It was a great texture but just expected it to taste more fruity!

I can imagine it would be very bland